About Illini
Illini State Park, a 510-acre site south of the Illinois River between Marseilles and U.S. Route 6, features rustic Civilian Conservation Corps buildings and riverside picnic areas that reflect its historical character. The park borders the Marseilles Locks, where visitors can observe large barges navigating the canal built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the mid-1920s to bypass river rapids; just north lies the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal, completed in 1848.
Dedicated as a state park in 1935, Illini is shaded by native hardwoods including hickory, ash, walnut, elm, cottonwood, oak, and maple, offering seasonal beauty and habitat for diverse wildlife. The park’s name honors the Native American tribes once native to the region.